


Refuge

by GoodVib3



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Is it one-sided?, It's kinda shippy?, M/M, rogues - Freeform, the world may never know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 16:12:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8063143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoodVib3/pseuds/GoodVib3
Summary: The Rogues are one big family that have a hideaway that they consider home. Hartley finds himself on the back porch one night, drinking his sorrows away when Leonard goes out to check on him.





	

It went without saying that Snart’s safe house was considered home for all of the Rogues. Whether they needed to lay low for a little while, or their own run down apartments felt a little too empty, they knew they could go to the safe house without anyone asking questions.

Maybe that was why Hartley found himself sitting on the cracked cement stairs of the back porch in the middle of the night, hand curled around the neck of a wine bottle. The idea of drinking his problems away used to seem cowardly, but he’d found himself dulling his pain in the past year more and more often.

_His parents._

Drink.

_Harrison._

Drink

_The explosion._

Drink.

_The pain._

Drink.

_The_ ** _betrayal_** —

“Lisa saw you wander out here and sent me to make sure you don’t fall asleep and freeze to death.”

Hartley paused and brought the bottle away from his lips, sparing Leonard a glance over his shoulder before looking back down at his feet. “I’ll be sure to make my way back to the couch. I’ll be fine,” he said with a sigh, fingers drumming a simple beat on the glass. 

When he felt heavy fabric draped over his shoulders, faux fur tickling his ears, he scoffed. “I never took you for the type to be a mama bear.”

Len took the spot beside him and tugged the bottle from Hartley’s hands, setting it down on the step below them. They sat in a comfortable silence for what felt like minutes, Hartley focusing on the sounds of the night to keep his thoughts from running wild. 

When he pulled the parka tighter around himself at a particularly harsh gust of wind, Leonard looked over, turning his body to face him and leaning against a metal rail. “I need you to be 100%.”

“What?”

“I said I need your head to be in the game, Hartley.” Len set the bottle down, nudging Hartley’s leg with his foot to get his attention. “You run surveillance and hack security on our jobs. _You’re_ the other half of the brains for this op. If something is going on with you, I make it my business to know.”

Hartley’s lips curled into a sneer, reaching for the bottle of wine again. “Didn’t know you had a soft spot for me, _Lenny_.”

Len snatched the bottle back, effectively  freezing Hartley with a stare. “I don’t. I just like making sure that a heist won’t go sideways just because someone’s emotions got them distracted, are we clear?” Hartley nodded slowly, swallowing past the lump in his throat. “Good. Now, what’s eating you up, Piper?”

“ _Everything,”_ Hartley bit, kicking a pebble off of the steps. 

Just like that, the dam cracked and a flood was released.

Hartley must have spent almost an hour pouring out the reasons he felt he could never trust anyone, not leaving out a single detail. His voice caught in his throat at just how vivid the memories were, especially being thrown out of STAR Labs after he’d considered it a home.

When he finally had nothing more to say, he took his glasses off, wiping away the tears from his cheeks as his breath shuddered. “God, I’m a mess. You probably don’t even want to hear all of—”

“You can trust us.”

“I- What?”

Leonard heaved a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as if Hartley was a dense child that wasn’t getting the point. “Us, the Rogues, we’re a team. We depend on each other to the point that we’re a dysfunctional, criminal family. There has to be a certain level of trust for a criminal to let someone know where they sleep at night.”

It might’ve been the wine, or the loneliness, or the emotional vomit, or _God knows what,_ but- without thinking- Hartley surged forward, pressing his lips to Len’s.

If Leonard’s stiffness wasn’t enough of a hint, the gentle push was. He put his hands on Hartley’s shoulders, turning his face away with his eyes downcast.

 Before Hartley could even begin to apologize, he held a hand up, stopping him. “You’re vulnerable. I get that. A relationship won’t fix that,” he said simply, getting up to his feet. 

“Maybe you should get out from behind the computer and join us on foot for a heist sometime. Feel the thrill of the escape.” He paused and took the wine with him before stepping back into the house, leaving the other alone with his thoughts.

Minutes passed as Hartley stared up at the stars, his warm breath fogging with every exhale. Tugging the parka closer around him, he smiled, murmuring a ‘Thank you,’ though he knew that Len couldn’t hear it.


End file.
